Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-17
THE CAREER OF AN APPRENr1oE.
Nr. EHerkomer Tells His Fathers story
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From the Pail Mall Gazette.l
My father, of course, is splendid sample
of the past age that honored apprenticeship.
Let your hearers know what the dignity OF
apprenticeship means. My father was ap-
prenticed at fourteen years of age, had to do
all the hard work of boys of that time, clean
his masters boots, etc. and though he sat
with the masters family (as all the other
workmen did, at table, he never had quite
enough to eat. He had to learn his trade as
we'll as he could by watching and without
real tuition. On Sundays the apprentices
of all the traders were marshalled in process
sion, accompanied by gendarmes, to the
three achools-Sunday- school, day school,
and drawing school. During that time my
father already showed great ability as
draughtsman. His master Hampfstaenge
the father of the present well known phot-
ographer in Munich) saw his talent and
wanted him to compete for the one silver
medal given that year to the apprentices for
drawing in Munich but he was too poor to
buy the material So the master gave him
the paper, Indian ink and materials, and his
drawings gained the silver medal. [ have
those drawings now. They are mastery in
their beautiful precision and delicacy of
touch. Prizes were awarded by the Mayor
of the town in the fine old town hall of Mu-
nich-there was great crowd of people to
see the apprentices get their prizes, and
when my father received his medal from the
hands of the Mayor a blast of trumpets
sounded to mark the event. It was the only
time in his life, said my father, that che did
not feel his legs when he walked out" Those
are great triumphs. He then worked his
way up to be journeyman workman, and
| then travelled on foot with knapsack on his
| back to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris,
| learning all the different methods of work
nh hnlty md ltrC yUh ha Ia h ia
| masterpiece and was pronounced extra
good master of his craft He then made an
other tour foot, and when he returned
went in for a thorough course of perspective
and geometry, and also studied the Gothic
| style from its foundation.
He then settled in his native place, start
| ing with the commission to make new al
| tar for the church But his mind was
''ahead'' of the times. He had his romantic
notions and wished to build his own house.
| He pulled down the house left him by his
| father, which was in bad state, and built
| charming house, which still stands and in
| which I was born. But though it was sim
| pie it was digniied. However, 1S4S spoit
Germany. He felt it was too eight" and in
| 1851 we three-my father and neither and I
| two years old)-emigrated to America.
| There the climate after six years affected the
| health of my mother and myself and we
| came to England. Now in England at that
| time there no taste for workmanship.
| We struggled with poverty until could earn
some money. But here mark the difference.
The noble man Who had gone through the
| severe training never allowed poverty to take
one dignifed thought from him or to make
him feel that life had only misery for him.
He gave up smoking and drinking alcoholic
liquors and even eating meat SO as to reduce
| expenses. My dear mother gave music les
sons for middle-class people. We had to
| live thirty shllings a week With this
the ''master workman" +" my father, had few
chances of showing his skill; but he did buy
| a little wood from time to time and did
| beautiful carved work without, however, be-
| ing able to sell it. Still he master and
| lived a dignifed life that could only come to
Il man when trained as he trained. He
never would have had the self-contrel with
| out that training. He was my one compan
ion as boy. I worked with him. He knew
how to guide my enthusiasm and with
| scarcely any means at hand learned a craft,
! I learned to use my hands, and every day of
my life do bless the difficulties that really
threw ms SO much in his company. He was
to me not only father, but an ''ideal" man.
ALI his emotions, all his principles I drank
in, and now 1t is my privilege to BE- able to
| WORK ont the dream of his life. All the
| work he has done for years will have q
shrine, and so too the work of his two broth;
ters--the carver and the weaver-in my great